Kerstin Andersson, author and activist

This is a deeply troubling time. I think those of us fortunate enough to be safe from war have an obligation to learn the history of imperialism, and to do whatever we can to reconcile its wrongs.

Tomorrow, Saturday, October 21st, is an opportunity to learn about Sweden’s history of collecting and returning Sámi remains, ceremonial objects, and images. Minnesdag (Remembrance Day) will be broadcast live from Stockholm (it starts at 13:00 CEDT, click to find your time). Some of the talks are in English (see program at end of post), and Mari Boine and Sara-Elvira Kuhmenen will joik.

Also on the schedule is Kerstin Andersson, a Sámi relative who has published about and advocated for the return of objects stolen from Unna Saiva (Kerstin also published a book about Gällivare’s Forest Sámi, Vuovddesáme i Flakaberg, to which I contributed a short chapter). Unna Saiva is a worship site that was used for over 1,000 years by our ancestors before they were displaced and dispossessed by Sweden’s colonial project. In 1915, the site was looted by archeologist Gustav Hallström, who removed (in addition to 150 kilos of animal bones) 600 metal items, including pendants, gold-plated pearls, rings, bells, coins, buckles, and arrowheads dating from the 6th century onwards. About 20 of these objects are on display at the History Museum, some 30 coins are at the Economic Museum, and the remainder is archived at the Historical Museum.

Thanks to the efforts of Kerstin and others, the collection may be coming home. The culture museum in Gällivare has officially submitted a request to house the collection, and several Sámi organizations have registered their support.

Will I get to visit the items in Gällivare next summer? Not likely, but I’m okay with that. Better a thoughtful process than a rushed one.

In 2019, the return of the Sámi remains that were removed from Lycksele in the 1950s (for race biology research) was the culmination of a five-year process that included multiple agencies and considerable collaboration, care, and ceremony, as well as public funding, a trauma-informed media strategy, and a detailed report to assist future efforts. It also located descendants in the USA who were able to attend the ceremony, an effort I gladly assisted.

Those five years are lightning fast compared to Sweden’s return of the Haisla totem pole, which was taken in 1929, officially requested in 1991, and returned in 2006. Times change. Ethics evolve. Those negotiations requiring financial sacrifice and concessions from the tribe seem ludicrous from this distance.

Dignity matters.

“It’s not just about returning physical objects. Through the ceremonial objects of our ancestors and ancestors, we get back a piece of our history and culture, a sense of wholeness and dignity.” Hannah Edenbrink Andersson

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